The Impact of Alternative Medicine on Clinical Dentistry: Complementary or Conflicting?

Are you recording medication histories that include CBD oil, brain nutrients, curcumin, probiotics or elderberry? Do your patients ask you to recommend only "natural" oral health products? Patients might mistakenly equate the terms "natural" and "standardized" with safe and effective. During this program, we will discuss the herbal landscape which includes laws and regulations as well as the qualifications of naturopaths and herbalists. The twenty most popular systemic herbs will be evaluated for dental impact including effect on bleeding, wound healing, intra-oral effects, and interactions with dental drugs. We will also take a detailed look at herbal products promoted for treatment of oral diseases including caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, aphthous stomatitis, and herpes simplex gingivostomatitis. Agents such as Coenzyme Q-10, aloe vera, green tea extract, natural essential oils, melaleuca, and antioxidants will be critiqued for safety and effectiveness in the treatment of oral disease. We will conclude by discussing step-wise strategies for evaluating and managing patients taking supplements. A practical and detailed handout will be provided to allow participants to apply this information to their practice.